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ContentWritingChat May 3 2016 Recap: How to Create & Promote Shareworthy Content

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ContentWritingChat May 3 2016 Recap: How to Create & Promote Shareworthy Content

If you missed this week’s #ContentWritingChat, no need to worry! We’ve rounded up some of the tweets from this week’s chat so you can get caught up. Check it out and learn all about creating and promoting shareworthy content! There were so many great tips shared: you’ll want to start implementing them today to grow your online presence. ContentWritingChat May 3 2016 Recap: How to Create & Promote Shareworthy Content Join us for #ContentWritingChat on Tuesday, May 3rd at 10 AM CDT with guest host @simmonet! pic.twitter.com/NaBgYXMWPV — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) April 26, 2016 For this week’s chat, Grant Simmons joined as our guest host. Grant is the VP of Search Marketing at Homes.com, a speaker, author, and a frequent Twitter chatter and social media expert. He shared his insights with us on creating and promoting content that will get shared across the web. Q1: What are the key features of a shareworthy piece of content? What makes content shareworthy? How do you create something that you know your audience will love and share online? Check out these tips from the chat: A1. Core of shareworthy is ‘worthy’: “Deserving effort, attention, or respect.” not by accident. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/CP9qL3WO03 — Grant Simmons (@simmonet) May 3, 2016 Shareworthy: Does your content entertain, educate / inform / enlighten, or inspire? #ContentWritingChat — Grant Simmons (@simmonet) May 3, 2016 Grant kicked things off by sharing what “worthy” means. It’s important to ask yourself if your content entertains, educates, informs, enlightens, or inspires. These are great characteristics of a shareworthy piece of content! A1: Does it resonate with/interest your audience? Is it easy to share? #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/KR0pllx2SE — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) May 3, 2016 Sarah from ThinkSEM knows the importance of considering your audience. Before you start creating content, always ask yourself if what you’re writing will resonate with them. A1: Shareworthy content is: scannable, inclusive of visuals, and gets to the point quickly! #ContentWritingChat — Tara M. Clapper (@irishtara) May 3, 2016 Don’t ramble on in your blog posts! Tara says your content should get to the point quickly. Remember to make sure it’s scannable, which ensures it’s easy for your readers to digest. Visuals are a must, too! A1: I think a key feature of shareworthy content is that it stirs some emotion (joy, fear, sympathy, etc.) w/ audience #contentwritingchat — Andrew Dennis (@AndrewDennis33) May 3, 2016 Andrew says shareworthy content should stir up some emotion within your audience. A1: You always want to create value for the reader. Hit their pain points, intriguing headline, easy to skim, inspires. #ContentWritingChat — Ryan Clutter (@Ryan1SEO) May 3, 2016 Ryan’s advice: add value for your reader. How can you solve their pain points or help them with an issue? A1 Storytelling elements. Creativity. Authenticity and being thorough. How intriguing is the headline? Great visuals. #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) May 3, 2016 Our CEO, Julia, knows storytelling elements make for shareworthy content. Get creative! A1 It is relevant, informative, helpful or contain humor #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/UxUZLsvqxE — Varun Kumar (@varunkr842) May 3, 2016 To put it simply, shareworthy content is relevant, informative, and helpful for your audience. A little humor can be great too if it suits your brand and readers! Spot on, Varun! A1) Timely + Informative + Entertaining = Shareable Content! ? #contentmarketing #ContentWritingChat — Jim Carter (@MSLJim) May 3, 2016 Content that is timely, informative, and entertaining is sure to shareworthy. Great answer, Jim! #ContentWritingChat Different strokes for different folks. #Shareworthy varies. Lots of common attributes. #Value is constant — Grant Simmons (@simmonet) May 3, 2016 As Grant said, we all have different ideas of what constitutes shareworthy content. One thing that always remains the same is value. You should always add value for your audience. Aim to solve their problems and provide them with the information they want and need. Q2: Discuss strategies to discover and tune into your matching audience. How can you figure out who your audience is and how do you reach them with your content? Here are some great answers: A2. Key to audience discovery? Listen. Listen. Listen. Listen. Listen. Listen. Listen. Listen. Listen. Listen. Listen. #ContentWritingChat — Grant Simmons (@simmonet) May 3, 2016 A2. Find out what they click on, what’s shared & engaged with. Helps re/define your audience. #HorseCart #TestIterate #ContentWritingChat — Grant Simmons (@simmonet) May 3, 2016 A2 If you don’t understand what your users want it’s inevitable they won’t want it #Intent #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/RpkHwFbEeZ — Grant Simmons (@simmonet) May 3, 2016 Grant’s answers were spot on for Q2. His first piece of advice: LISTEN! If you want to get to know your audience, you need to listen to them. Find them on social media and see what they’re talking about. Also, you want to be tuned in to what’s resonating with your audience. Which pieces of content are they clicking on? What are they sharing and engaging with? When you understand what your audience enjoys, you can provide more of the same. A2: You really need to be part of your audience’s community. If your passion for the topic is genuine, it helps! #ContentWritingChat — Tara M. Clapper (@irishtara) May 3, 2016 Tara recommends being part of your audience’s community. This allows you to get to know them by listening and engaging in conversation. A2 #SocialListening, A/B testing and ask them #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/DHoL6Q9ylt — Varun Kumar (@varunkr842) May 3, 2016 Varun knows the importance of social listening! Tune into your audience via social media to see what they’re talking about and what they’re sharing. You can perform A/B testing to see what they respond to. If you’re still struggling, just ask them! A2: Nothing beats personal interaction w/ your audience. Be involved in relevant convos & know your topic. #contentwritingchat — Jamie Martin (@DavisJamie77) May 3, 2016 Make sure you’re taking the time to just talk to your audience. It’s the best way to get to know them. A2: Finding where your audience “lives” is key–find them w/articles, hashtags, or just ask 🙂 #ContentWritingChat … Read more

ContentWritingChat April 26 2016 Recap: Creative Copywriting Tactics 101

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ContentWritingChat April 26 2016 Recap: Creative Copywriting Tactics 101

Did you miss #ContentWritingChat this week? There’s no need to worry, my friend! I’ve rounded-up some of the tweets from Tuesday’s chat so you can get caught up. Dive into our recap and learn more about the wonderful world of copywriting! #ContentWritingChat April 26 2016 Recap: Creative Copywriting Tactics 101 Join us for #ContentWritingChat on Tuesday, April 26th at 10 AM CDT with guest host @PooPourri! pic.twitter.com/vBuBvgxYw6 — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) April 19, 2016 This week, we were joined by Nicole Story, the Vice President of Creative at Poo~Pourri. We are huge fans of Poo~Pourri here at Express Writers because they are consistently creative and amazing with their brand’s copywriting. If you want to learn how they do it all, you’re in luck because Nicole shared some of her top tips with us! Q1: How important is online storytelling and creative writing to brands today? In case you weren’t convinced that both online storytelling and creative writing are important to brands, just check out these tweets from Tuesday’s chat: @ExpWriters A1: Storytelling is huge. It’s the HUMAN factor in an e-engagement. #ContentWritingChat — Poo~Pourri (@PooPourri) April 26, 2016 @ExpWriters A1: Instead of shoving a product down peep’s digital throats, tell them a relatable story they’ll plug into. #ContentWritingChat — Poo~Pourri (@PooPourri) April 26, 2016 As Nicole from Poo~Pourri said, storytelling is the human factor in online engagement. A relatable story will truly resonate with your audience and attract them to your brand. A1: Online storytelling is basically marketing in 2016 so it’s extremely important. It can make or break a brand #ContentWritingChat — Searcy Sledge (@SearcySledge) April 26, 2016 Searcy knows the importance of storytelling. She says it can make or break a brand these days! It’s a good reminder to think about your brand’s story. What story are you telling with your brand? Is it resonating with your audience? A1. Not a matter of importance, but one of relevance. Storytelling is the new marketing. Content > CTAs #ContentWritingChat @ExpWriters — Rachel Jolley (@iamracheljolley) April 26, 2016 Rachel says that storytelling is relevant to brands today. Focus on providing great content to your audience! A1: Very important! Essentially brands are combining their benefits into audience’s pain points #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/pDTbqF52vv — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) April 26, 2016 When telling your brand’s story it helps to share the benefits you can provide in relation to your audience’s pain points. It’s one of the best ways to reach them and really pull them in. Q2: What do you need to know before you create online copy? Before you start writing copy for your brand, there are a few things you should know! Keep these tips in mind: @ExpWriters A2: WHO are we talking to. WHAT are we talking to them about. And WHY the crap should they care? #ContentWritingChat — Poo~Pourri (@PooPourri) April 26, 2016 @ExpWriters A2: And WHAT do we want them to do? Have a call to action—surprisingly, engagement can be as simple as that. #ContentWritingChat — Poo~Pourri (@PooPourri) April 26, 2016 Questions you need to have the answers to: Who are you talking to? What are you talking to them about? Why should they care? Knowing why is so crucial! Also, know what action you want someone to take next. Include a call to action so you can tell your audience what the next step is. A2 Why you’re writing? Who you’re writing for? What do you want readers to do once they’ve read content? #ContentWritingChat — Shannon Mouton Gray (@ShannonRenee) April 26, 2016 Shannon also agrees that knowing your why is important when creating online copy! A2. The obvious answer is who your audience is, what they care about, where they are engaging, etc. #ContentWritingChat — Brittany Brander (@BrittanyBrander) April 26, 2016 It may be obvious, but it’s important! As Brittany said, you need to know who your audience is. What do they care about? Where are they engaging with you? When you take the time to truly get to know your audience, you can create tailor-made content just for them. .@ExpWriters #ContentWritingChat A2. Every copywriter first needs to know the details – Who, What, Why, When, Where and How. — Pratik Mohapatra (@mohapatrapratik) April 26, 2016 As Pratik said, you need to know who, what, why, when, where, and how. These questions are essential! A2: Also, ultimately what’re YOUR goals. What are you hoping to achieve with said content? #ContentWritingChat — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) April 26, 2016 What are your goals with the content you’re creating? You should have your end goal in mind so you can create the exact content that will help you achieve the results you want. A2) Your first move should be to look from the customer’s perspective and ask the question, “Would I care about this?” #contentwritingchat — Kyle Murray (@TheKyleMurray) April 26, 2016 As Kyle suggested, ask yourself if you would care about the copy you’re creating. If not, it’s time to go back to the drawing board! Q3: What are key elements of successful creative online copywriting? To make sure your creative online copywriting is a success, take a look at these tips from Tuesday’s chat: @ExpWriters A3: For Poo, it’s all about grabbing immediate attention through OMG-did-they-just-say-that humor & delight #ContentWritingChat — Poo~Pourri (@PooPourri) April 26, 2016 @ExpWriters A3: Be concise. Be funny. Be hyperbolic but relatable. If it’d make people reply w/ #preach ? …slam dunk. #ContentWritingChat — Poo~Pourri (@PooPourri) April 26, 2016 It will be different for your brand, but when it comes to Poo~Pourri, they love the kind of humor that really grabs your attention. A3: Engaging topic, strong visuals, & an action item. And anything you can give away is a plus. #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/iTwJzGjWKR — Eliza David, Author (@elizadwrites) April 26, 2016 Eliza says to make sure you choose an engaging topic and include strong visuals. They are two key elements to creating great copy! A3. Personality, voice, clarity! #contentwritingchat — Kristen Dunleavy (@KristenWritesIt) April 26, 2016 Kristen’s key elements of successful copy include personality, voice, and … Read more

ContentWritingChat April 19 2016 Recap: Strategies for Successful Guest Blogging From an Editor

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ContentWritingChat April 19 2016 Recap: Strategies for Successful Guest Blogging From an Editor

Did you miss this week’s #ContentWritingChat? Well, there’s no need to worry because you can catch up with our full recap of the chat. Tuesday’s chat was all about guest blogging. If you’re looking to introduce guest blogging into your growth strategy or want to take your guest posts to the next level, you’ll want to read through these amazing tweets! #ContentWritingChat April 19 2016 Recap: Strategies for Successful Guest Blogging From an Editor Join us next week on #ContentWritingChat as we discuss #guestblogging with @itskgarvin! ? Tues, 10 AM CST! pic.twitter.com/tTaHwXAhkD — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) April 12, 2016 Our guest host for the week was Kathleen Garvin. Kathleen is the Editor over at The Penny Hoarder and previously worked at SEMrush. She’s experienced in SEO, blogging and digital marketing, as well as guest blogging. We enjoyed having her expertise over on our Twitter chat at #ContentWritingChat. Q1: Why is guest blogging essential to brands and writers with a presence online? Why is guest blogging a must and how can help build your online presence? Check out what some of the participants from Tuesday’s chat had to say: A1: It gives you a voice + exposes/expands your brand #ContentWritingChat — Kathleen Garvin (@itskgarvin) April 19, 2016 As Kathleen said, guest blogging helps to give you a voice and also gets you more exposure for your brand. When you guest post on another site, your content gets featured in front of a whole new audience. It doesn’t get much better than that! A1: #GuestBlogging establishes authority, esp. within a niche; also credibility as other publications accept your work. #ContentWritingChat — Tara M. Clapper (@irishtara) April 19, 2016 A1: Builds credibility across “venues,” shows versatility in subject matter, greater reach, etc #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/bJE7HPOCtT — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) April 19, 2016 Tara mentioned that guest blogging could establish you as an authority figure within your niche. She and Sarah from Think SEM both agreed that you also gain credibility when other publications feature your work. That’s huge! A1: Guest blogging provides a platform with new readers exposed to your brand. A chance to build new relationships. #ContentWritingChat. — Ryan Clutter (@Ryan1SEO) April 19, 2016 A1: Guest blogging helps expand my audience & helps cultivate relationships w fellow bloggers. #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/wa4CPy8qPh — Eliza David, Author (@elizadwrites) April 19, 2016 As Ryan said, guest blogging exposes your brand to a new audience who hasn’t heard of you before. Both he and Eliza agreed it’s also a great way to build relationships. When you guest post, you not only start forming a relationship with the website, but also their readers. A1 HUGE. It’s massive content exposure potential online for free – the cost of your time writing & making the connection #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) April 19, 2016 Our CEO, Julia, said guest blogging could gain you a ton of exposure for your brand without having to spend a dime. A1. Guest blogging gives your brand some exposure, strengthens your voice and can be used as an extension of your story. #ContentWritingChat — Brittany Brander (@BrittanyBrander) April 19, 2016 As Brittany said, guest blogging gives you exposure, strengthens your voice, and can be an extension of your brand story. Q2: How do you pinpoint great sites to pitch guest posts to? Now that you know why guest blogging is beneficial, you need to think about which sites you should be pitching. Here’s what you need to know: A2: Look to high-quality blogs in your field, including professional frenemies #ContentWritingChat — Kathleen Garvin (@itskgarvin) April 19, 2016 A2: Figure out YOUR goals (brand awareness, sales, blog growth). Are you OK writing for free? Want paid opps only? #ContentWritingChat — Kathleen Garvin (@itskgarvin) April 19, 2016 Kathleen said to look to the high-quality blogs in your field. Don’t forget to consider your goals. What are you trying to achieve with your guest post? Are you trying to grow your traffic, generate awareness for your brand, gain more sales? This could play a factor in choosing which sites to guest post on. A2: Relevance and audience engagement (you can look at the comments section) are big factors to consider #contentwritingchat — Andrew Dennis (@AndrewDennis33) April 19, 2016 As Andrew said, make sure you’re choosing sites that are relevant to your brand. Also, does the site receive a lot of engagement from their audience? That’s key! A2 Add value and match their #Content standard, pitch via networks or proper channel #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/nTwKLoWrYE — Varun Kumar (@varunkr842) April 19, 2016 Varun said to make sure you can add value to the sites you’re pitching to. Your focus should always be on providing great content for their audience. A2: Look for high traffic and authoritative sources. Exposes your work to reach new plateaus. Also follow your audience. #ContentWritingChat — Ryan Clutter (@Ryan1SEO) April 19, 2016 Ryan recommends looking to high-traffic and authoritative sources. This can help maximize your reach. A2 a TOOLS: I use @buzzsumo to find top blogs in my industry (ie “content marketing” search). But you can also Google! #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) April 19, 2016 Julia likes to use BuzzSumo to find the top blogs in specific industries. Very helpful! A2. Reach out to blogs in your space. It never hurts to ask. #contentwritingchat — Kristen Dunleavy (@KristenWritesIt) April 19, 2016 Like Kristen said, never be afraid to reach out. The worst you could hear is no. If there’s a site you want to post on, send over a pitch. You never know how it could work out! Q3: How do pick topics guest bloggers can’t resist? The next step in guest blogging is coming up with an amazing topic. No matter what site you’re writing for or what topic you’re writing on, providing value is always a must. Here are some more tips for choosing topics: A3: If you’re pitching, do your homework + read the publication/blog. See what’s been covered, bring value. #ContentWritingChat — Kathleen Garvin (@itskgarvin) April 19, 2016 A great tip from Kathleen: … Read more

#ContentWritingChat April 12 2016 Recap: How to Create Your Most Engaging Brand Videos

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#ContentWritingChat April 12 2016 Recap: How to Create Your Most Engaging Brand Videos

If you missed #ContentWritingChat this week, then you missed an amazing conversation all about online video creation and marketing techniques. Video content continues to grow in popularity online, with more brands joining YouTube or using live streaming apps. If you want to learn how to best utilize video content for your brand, read on for a full recap of this week’s chat! #ContentWritingChat April 12 2016 Recap: How to Create Your Most Engaging Brand Videos Join us Tuesday, April 12th for #ContentWritingChat at 10 AM CDT. Guest host: @michaelkinney. pic.twitter.com/K4l8g7iGAK — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) April 5, 2016 Award winning broadcaster and video expert, Michael Kinney, joined us as our guest host this week. Michael has been a regular at #ContentWritingChat and we were thrilled to have him share his expertise with us. He has over 25 years of professional television production experience and he shared some fantastic insight throughout the chat. Q1: How can you tell your brand’s story through video? Telling your brand story is the best way to connect with your audience and allow them to get to know you and what you do. But how can you tell your story more effectively through video? Check out these tips: A1: Do video interviews with people behind the brand to discover their WHY, their motivations, beyond profit. #ContentWritingChat — Michael Kinney (@michaelkinney) April 12, 2016 A1: AUTHENTICALLY SHOW how the brand affects customers and fans using video case studies, profiles, testimonials. #ContentWritingChat — Michael Kinney (@michaelkinney) April 12, 2016 Michael suggests doing video interviews with the people behind the brand. This gives your audience the opportunity to get to know you better and also help them understand WHY you do what you do. Be sure to show how your brand is impacting customers and fans. Case studies, profiles, and testimonials are great for this. A1. Give people an inside look at you/your team and show them how passionate you are! #contentwritingchat — Kristen Dunleavy (@KristenWritesIt) April 12, 2016 Kristen agrees that giving your audience an inside look into your brand is a must. It’s the best way to show them how passionate you are! A1: Show your personality and who you are. People want to see you #ContentWritingChat — Searcy Sledge (@SearcySledge) April 12, 2016 As Searcy said, show your personality. Don’t be afraid to just be yourself. Your audience wants to get to know the real you. A1) Like all storytelling, best to show instead of tell. Video can focus not on you but on the characters of your story. #ContentWritingChat — Jeremy Bond (@JeremyDBond) April 12, 2016 Jeremy said to turn the focus to the characters of the story instead of making it all about you. .@ExpWriters #ContentWritingChat A1. Videos work well in establishing a strong emotional connection with the brand in consumers’ minds. — Pratik Mohapatra (@mohapatrapratik) April 12, 2016 One important thing to remember about videos, as Pratik mentioned: Establish a strong emotional connection. Build that connection with your audience and they’ll be sure to stick around. A1. Know it well, tell it better. Clear communication of your message is key. Touch hearts, not wallets. #ContentWritingChat @ExpWriters — Co-op Social (@co_opsocial) April 12, 2016 Co-op Social said it best: Touch hearts, not wallets. Q2: What are best practices for writing/developing engaging, outstanding video scripts? When it comes to video content, you need to make sure you’re grabbing the attention of your audience right off the bat. Creating a script ahead of time can really help with this. Here’s how to engage your audience with amazing video: A2: Write for the ear, not the eye. Use simple, concrete, active, conversational language. #ContentWritingChat — Michael Kinney (@michaelkinney) April 12, 2016 As Michael said, you need to write for the ear, not the eye. Speak in a way that is natural and conversational. Your words show flow easily. A) Be concise, both in terms of the content and the length of the video. Nobody will watch a video that drags on. #contentwritingchat — Kyle Murray (@TheKyleMurray) April 12, 2016 Kyle said to keep it concise when considering your content and the length of your video. Your audience will not stick around for a video where you’re rambling on. Stay focused and get to the point! A2. Speak your audience’s language, get to the point and let the visuals do the legwork. #contentwritingchat — Kristen Dunleavy (@KristenWritesIt) April 12, 2016 A2 Short and crisp, speak in your #Demographics language #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/NJIk90T6Z2 — Varun Kumar (@varunkr842) April 12, 2016 Kristen and Varun remind us to consider our audience when creating video content. You need to speak in language that your audience will relate to. A2: Don’t use jargon and corporate-speak. #contentwritingchat — Laura Powell (@dailysuitcase) April 12, 2016 Laura says to ditch the jargon and corporate-speak. This all goes back to knowing and understanding your audience. You need to speak in a way they will understand. A1b) Captions/subtitles in video. Not all will want or be able to hear your video with the sound (i.e. in an office) #ContentWritingChat — Jim Carter (@MSLJim) April 12, 2016 A great tip from Jim: Don’t forget to include captions/subtitles in your videos. Keep in mind that some people may not be able to listen due to their location. Having subtitles allows them to get your content without hearing the sound. Also, this helps you cater to hearing-impaired audiences as well. Q3: What are the ideal video formats and lengths for your audience? When you’re creating video content you need to consider the format and the length. How do you know what will work for your audience? A3: “Formats” can also mean the way you deliver your video: live-action, on-camera, PPT, Screencast #ContentWritingChat — Michael Kinney (@michaelkinney) April 12, 2016 A3: Can also mean the genre of video production: vlog, interview, instructional, demo, documentary, news-style. #ContentWritingChat — Michael Kinney (@michaelkinney) April 12, 2016 As Michael knows, video formats can vary. You can go for live-action, screencast, vlogs, interviews, documentaries, etc. There are so … Read more

#ContentWritingChat April 5 2016 Recap: Strategies to Hone In On & Tell Your Best Brand Story

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#ContentWritingChat April 5 2016 Recap: Strategies to Hone In On & Tell Your Best Brand Story

Did you miss #ContentWritingChat this week? Never fear! We have a full recap of Tuesday’s chat where we talked all about honing in on your brand story. Let’s dive in and review some of the tips that were shared this week! #ContentWritingChat April 5 2016 Recap: Strategies to Hone In On & Tell Your Best Brand Story Join us Tuesday, April 5th for #ContentWritingChat at 10 AM CDT. Guest host: Marketing Consultant, @maybudz! pic.twitter.com/uQVbnWp1se — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) March 29, 2016 Tamara Budz joined us as our guest host this week. She is a marketing consultant and brand storyteller/content marketer who owns the Silver Shade Group. Q1: Define brand storytelling. What exactly is brand storytelling? Julia, Tamara, Brittany, and Hannah all chimed in with great answers for our first question. A1 What does YOUR brand solve for people? What are customers saying? Tell your best authentic story = brand storytelling #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) April 5, 2016 As Julia mentioned, you want to focus on what your brand solves for people. What pain points are you helping them with? And what exactly are your customers saying about you and your brand? @JeremyDBond @RadioMS @varunkr842 @ExpWriters Or about integrating them into your story or vice versa. How can you help? #ContentWritingChat — Tamara Budz (@maybudz) April 5, 2016 Similarly to what Julia said, Tamara reminded us that we need to ask ourselves: How can you help your audience? A1. It’s everything that make you, you. It’s your past, present and future. Reputation. Connection. Story. #ContentWritingChat — Brittany Brander (@BrittanyBrander) April 5, 2016 Brittany shared a great answer. Your brand story is your past, present, and future. It’s about your reputation and the connections that you make with your audience. A1: Sharing a brand message in a meaningful and entertaining way #ContentWritingChat #Branding — Hannah Chapple (@HannahChapple) April 5, 2016 Hannah said brand storytelling is about sharing your message in a meaningful and entertaining way. You need to make sure you’re speaking to your audience. Q2: What makes a strong brand story? Now that you know what brand storytelling is, what exactly makes a strong brand story? A2. A strong brand storyline includes three, key parts: authenticity, relevance, and connectivity. #ContentWritingChat @writingchat #smm — Co-op Social (@co_opsocial) April 5, 2016 Co-Op Social was spot on with their answer. A strong brand story includes authenticity, relevance, and connectivity. You need to be authentic, your story should be relevant to your brand and your audience, and it should form a connection with your audience. A2. Once you know who you are, connect with people, be human, remember your values and be grounded in your integrity. #ContentWritingChat — Brittany Brander (@BrittanyBrander) April 5, 2016 As Brittany said, remember your values. Integrity is important to everything you do within your brand. A2 Authenticity + next: customer-centric! Focus on THEM, not YOU. Tell a story they feel personally vested in! #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) April 5, 2016 A2-One that integrates your audience. They should be part of your journey in some way. #branding #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/Ja3YnuRDWu — Jeremy Bond (@JeremyDBond) April 5, 2016 Julia and Jeremy were on the same page with their answers. Both of them expressed the importance of focusing on your audience. Get them involved in your story and make sure it’s one they’ll feel drawn to. A2 A deep understanding of your audience. Understand their painpoints, interests, influences & craft content to reflect #ContentWritingChat — Hannah Chapple (@HannahChapple) April 5, 2016 Hannah said it’s important to understand the pain points of your audience, as well as their interests. Knowing these things can help you create the right content for them. A2: The human elements (people) & struggles behind the story of a brand are what make it compelling #ContentWritingChat — Andrew Dennis (@AndrewDennis33) April 5, 2016 Andrew said to focus on the people. Don’t be afraid to share the struggles behind the story of your brand because that can be compelling and relatable for your audience. Q3: What are the benefits of storytelling for a brand in today’s era? Developing and telling your story can have some major benefits for your brand. Check out these answers from Kim, Hannah, Michael, and Alberto. A3: Again, it’s how you connect to people. Marketing today is all about the connection to the individidual. #ContentWritingChat — McKinney & Assocs (@McKPR) April 5, 2016 A3- A big benefit is it can humanize your brand. And if done right, will build meaningful connections with your target. #ContentWritingChat — Hannah Chapple (@HannahChapple) April 5, 2016 As Kim from McKinney & Associates and Hannah both said, it’s all about developing a connection with your audience. Your story needs to draw them in and help you start forming a relationship. A3: Benefits arise from brand recall & memorability as “humans are hard-wired to absorb stories” #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/Z7PB0d9IGT — Michael Stricker (@RadioMS) April 5, 2016 A great answer from Michael: Your brand story is what will make you memorable if you tell a good one! A3 @ExpWriters Behind every Story are persons, not brands or logos or business cards #ContentWritingChat — Alberto Gómez (@alberMoire) April 5, 2016 As Alberto said, there are people behind every story, not brands, logos, or business cards. Focus on telling your story and humanizing your brand. Q4: How do you find/discover your authentic stories to tell? To find/discover your authentic stories, it sounds like most of the people in the chat agreed: look to your customers. A4 What are your customers saying? What’s their story of how you helped them? <<lots of great storytelling fodder! #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) April 5, 2016 @palkoviz That second piece, listening to customers, can offer valuable information. They’ll tell you what they need. #ContentWritingChat — Tamara Budz (@maybudz) April 5, 2016 Pay attention to what your customers are saying. They can provide you with valuable advice. As Julia said, find out how you’ve been able to help your audience. Tamara agreed. She said your customers will tell you what they need. … Read more

#ContentWritingChat March 29 2016 Recap: How to Develop Your Voice in Content Marketing

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#ContentWritingChat March 29 2016 Recap: How to Develop Your Voice in Content Marketing

Did you miss #ContentWritingChat this week? Or maybe you just wanted to check out some of the highlights from Tuesday’s chat? Either way, there’s no need to worry. We have you covered! Unfortunately, our scheduled guest host was not able to make it to the chat, but our awesome CEO, Julia McCoy, stepped in as our host for the week. She joined us as we talked all about How to Develop Your Voice in Content Marketing. Now, let’s dive into the recap! Q1: Why is finding your voice and story so important in content marketing? Finding your voice and your story is important when it comes to content marketing. You need to be yourself in order to be unique and stand out from the crowd. Here’s what Julia, Sarah from ThinkSEM, Andrew, Kyle, and Michael had to say. A1 Fact: Without a clear voice & story unique to YOU, you won’t stand out. There’s a sea of content out there #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) March 29, 2016 As Julia pointed out, there’s a ton of content on the web today. If you want your content to stand out from the rest, you need to develop your voice and infuse your writing with it. A1: If you don’t know your own voice/story, how can you reach the right audience & help them? #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/mVdKkB3615 — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) March 29, 2016 Sarah mentioned that knowing your voice and your story can actually help you reach the right audience. Your voice is important when it comes to attracting your target market to your content. A1: Your personal voice and story are what will engage your audience and bring them in #ContentWritingChat — Andrew Dennis (@AndrewDennis33) March 29, 2016 A1) Without a unique voice and story, your material will lack the drawing power necessary to get people to listen/read. #ContentWritingChat — Kyle Murray (@TheKyleMurray) March 29, 2016 Andrew and Kyle both know the importance of finding your voice when it comes to content marketing. They agreed that using your personal voice will help draw people to you and your content. A1: Cacophony! Genuine beats the insincere, manipulative stuff in the name of Content Mktg #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/XdJqJ9eUOL — Michael Stricker (@RadioMS) March 29, 2016 A great piece of advice from Michael: be genuine! Don’t try to copy someone else or be manipulative. You need to be true to who you are. Q2: How can brands and businesses hone in on their voice? Now that you know why finding your voice is so important, how do you figure out what your voice really is? Check out these tips: A2 a) Research. Who are you talking to? b) Once you know your audience, write for them. c) Exist where they are. #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) March 29, 2016 Julia knows that research is key when it comes to finding your voice! Get to know your audience and develop content specifically for them. A2. #Brands & businesses need to know who they are and what they stand for in order for them to hone in on their voice. #Contentwritingchat — Village Print&Media (@village_print) March 29, 2016 A2: Start with your core values as a business & always keep these in mind & let them guide your writing (1/2) #contentwritingchat — Andrew Dennis (@AndrewDennis33) March 29, 2016 Both Village Print & Media and Andrew agreed that part of developing your voice comes from knowing the core values behind your brand. What does your brand stand for? A2: Track what style of voice engages your users. Know your buyer persona and appeal to them. #ContentWritingChat — Ryan Clutter (@Ryan1SEO) March 29, 2016 Ryan shared a great tip with his answer: keep track of what your audience is engaging with. When you get to know your audience and you understand what kind of content resonates with them, it can help you in developing your voice and story. Q3: What are some key tactics to creating great content today? Do you want to start creating better content? Take a look at some of these tips that were shared during Tuesday’s chat and start implementing them as part of your content strategy: A3 Tactics / rather, fundamentals: time, investment, creativity, genius, storytelling… great content isn’t simple! #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) March 29, 2016 Julia summed it all up with her answer! The keys to creating great content include time, investment, creativity, genius, and storytelling. A3: I would say #1 is audience research. Work hard to find out what your audience needs/wants & deliver it for them #contentwritingchat — Andrew Dennis (@AndrewDennis33) March 29, 2016 A3: 1) Know what audience needs to hear, 2) How they need to hear it, 3) WHERE they want it #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/8z8ofA9Lt6 — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) March 29, 2016 As Andrew and Sarah pointed out, you need to do some research on your audience if you want to create great content. After all, you’re creating it for them! Figure out what they want and need and how you plan to deliver it to them. Then, you just have to go for it! A3) Write pieces that not only inform ppl, but also leave them with new questions & make them think! They’ll want more #ContentWritingChat — Liliana GH (@Liliholl) March 29, 2016 As Liliana said, great content is informative, but you should also leave your audience wanting more. That’s the key to coming them back every single time. A3) Provide a unique POV on a current event or topic.Stay up to date in your industry! That is vital! #ContentWritingChat — Kyle Murray (@TheKyleMurray) March 29, 2016 A3. Follow trends and make your content engaging for your audience. #contentwritingchat — Village Print&Media (@village_print) March 29, 2016 Another great tip is to stay updated on current events and trends. (Both Kyle and Village Print & Media know this is a must!) As Kyle said, you just need to make sure you put your own unique spin on it. Share your thoughts and opinions as a way to add … Read more

#ContentWritingChat March 22 Recap: Strategies for Finding/Creating Great Media to Go With Your Content with Kelsey Jones

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#ContentWritingChat March 22 Recap: Strategies for Finding/Creating Great Media to Go With Your Content with Kelsey Jones

Did you miss this week’s #ContentWritingChat? Well, you’re in luck because we have a full recap! We talked all about finding and creating media (images, videos, and audio) to go with your content. Keep reading for some of the highlights from the chat and start implementing these tips into your online presence. #ContentWritingChat March 22 2016 Recap: Strategies for Finding/Creating Great Media to Go With Your Content Join us Tuesday, March 22nd at 10 AM CDT for #ContentWritingChat with @wonderwall7 as our guest host! pic.twitter.com/wTvS9LZvjF — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) March 15, 2016 For this week’s chat, our guest host was Kelsey Jones. Kelsey is a Marketing Strategist and the Executive Editor at Search Engine Journal, where our CEO Julia is a guest contributor. We love SEJ and we were honored to have Kelsey join us! She shared her best tips on creating great media to go along with your blog posts, social media, and more – our hour was packed full with information! Headed out. First time I have to leave my own chat LOL 🙁 But my sick baby needs me! #ContentWritingChat is in good hands w/ @redheadrachel — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) March 22, 2016 Julia was unable to make it, unfortunately, due to her baby toddler being sick – but we still managed to have fun. 😉 Q1: How do you find or create the perfect video/image/audio? When we’re creating media, we always want to ensure it’s our absolute best! How do you do that? It seems the participants of Tuesday’s chat were pretty unanimous with their answers. A1 It takes time to figure out what works best w/audience. Find a tool that makes it easy to search for media. #contentwritingchat — Kelsey Jones (@wonderwall7) March 22, 2016 A1. We create the perfect video/image by planning out what kind of message are we trying to get across to our audience. #contentwritingchat — Village Print&Media (@village_print) March 22, 2016 A1- I monitor what styles have resonated w/ key my audience, then use free sources like https://t.co/V6j1VlFCXi, Canva #contentwritingchat — Hannah Chapple (@HannahChapple) March 22, 2016 Kelsey, Village Print & Media, and Hannah all agree that you need to keep your audience in mind when creating images, videos, and audio content. Your audience is the most important thing and you want to ensure you’re creating media that will resonate with them. Plan your message and figure out what your audience is most drawn to. Q2: What are some tips on creating great images to share in blog posts? When it comes to blog posts, it’s important to add at least one image to your written content. A great image will help get your audience’s attention and keep them interested. To create amazing images for your next posts, read these tips: A2) They have to be a reflection of your content and eye catching. #ContentWritingChat — Liliana GH (@Liliholl) March 22, 2016 A2: Make sure the image you select for your #Blog is as closely relevant as possible to the content of the post itself. #ContentWritingChat — Amel Mehenaoui (@amelm) March 22, 2016 Liliana and Amel are spot on! Make sure the images you create for your posts are actually related to your written content. You can’t just put any old image together. It needs to complement your post. A2- I have 3 tips. 1. the featured image needs to relate 2. Learn-test-optimize: try new image styles 3. be on brand #contentwritingchat — Hannah Chapple (@HannahChapple) March 22, 2016 Hannah offered some good advice with her answer: Learn, test, optimize. Don’t be afraid to try new things to see how your audience responds. You just want to make sure you always stay on brand! A2. The other thing I would share is compress your images to increase your blog’s response time. #ContentWritingChat — Brittany Brander (@BrittanyBrander) March 22, 2016 Make sure you don’t go overboard with your images! As Brittany pointed out, images that are too large can slow down your page loading time. If your page takes too long to load, you risk losing out on potential readers who don’t want to wait. A2: Pull the strongest quotes from your post and turn them into images instead of bolding them. Helps for skimming, too #ContentWritingChat — Kate Smith (@SmittyQ14) March 22, 2016 If you’re looking for another way to step-up your images within blog posts, try Kate’s tip! She recommends creating graphics out of some of the strongest quotes within your posts. It’s a great way to ensure they stand out and are seen by your audience. Q3: What are some tips on creating great images to share on social media? It’s important to have a great image to include with your social media posts because it helps your content stand out in a busy timeline. Kelsey, ThinkSEM, Varun, Village Print & Media, and Partha all shared some helpful tips: A3 Fonts play a HUGE part in initial impression. It can clearly show your company culture, personality, etc. #ContentWritingChat — Kelsey Jones (@wonderwall7) March 22, 2016 When creating images, you should always keep Kelsey’s advice in mind. Use the right kind of fonts for your brand/business. Fonts convey a certain personality and you want to make sure you’re using the right ones for your images. For example, fun and playful fonts won’t be the best fit for a corporate company, but work well for a creative business. A3: Use the optimal “sizing” for each platform. Know what resonates w/your audience #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/f6CjL4ocB4 — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) March 22, 2016 A3 Always stick to #Socialmedia image size guideline for optimized view on every device #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/8oGKHRWui5 — Varun Kumar (@varunkr842) March 22, 2016 As ThinkSEM and Varun said, make sure you keep sizing in mind when creating images for social media. Each platform has guidelines when it comes to an ideal size for graphics. Figure out which sizes work best for each platform and make sure you design accordingly! A3. Grasp the attention of your audience. Make sure your images are relatable, … Read more

#ContentWritingChat March 15 2016 Recap: Strategies to Maximize Your Outreach on Social Media

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#ContentWritingChat March 15 2016 Recap: Strategies to Maximize Your Outreach on Social Media

Did you miss this week’s #ContentWritingChat? If so, there’s no need to worry because we have you covered with a full recap! We talked all about social media this week and our chat participants shared some amazing tips. If you’re looking to boost your presence on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and more, keep on reading. #ContentWritingChat March 15 2016 Recap: Strategies to Maximize Your Outreach on Social Media Join us Tuesday, March 15th at 10 AM CST for #ContentWritingChat with @shane_barker as our guest host! pic.twitter.com/W52948pFuo — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) March 8, 2016 Our guest host this week was the one and only Shane Barker: a #1 ranked Digital Strategist in social media, a major influencer in the social media marketing space, and a consultant that works with clients providing them with SEO and Internet marketing advice and strategies. You can learn more about him on his website, ShaneBarker.com. Q1: What are steps every brand/business should take when starting out on social media? Whether you’re just starting out on social media or you’ve been at it for a while now, there’s still plenty to learn from the responses to our first question. Shane, Netvantage Marketing, Jessica, and Ai all chimed in with great answers. A1) Test multiple social media platforms and see if building a community there makes sense. #ContentWritingChat — Shane Barker (@shane_barker) March 15, 2016 As Shane mentioned, it’s wise test multiple platforms to see if they’ll work for you. Remember that you don’t have to be on every social media platform available. Instead, you should invest your time and energy into the platforms your target audience is using. A1: Be sure to fill our your profiles completely. Use a recognizable/well-branded profile image. #contentwritingchat — Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) March 15, 2016 When you create a social media profile, don’t forget to add all the necessary information. Write a bio, upload a cover photo (on applicable platforms), and choose a great profile image. As Jessica and Ai pointed out, it’s all about building relationships. Don’t be afraid to dive in and start talking to people. Make connections by starting conversations with new people. You can’t start selling right away. You have to build trust first. A1: Get to know your people by personally reaching out, engagement w/ PURPOSE @ExpWriters #ContentWritingChat — Jessica Smith (@coachJessness) March 15, 2016 A1: Don’t use social as a way to sell but to build relationships and communities, which can lead to sales #ContentWritingChat — Ai Zhang (@aiaddysonzhang) March 15, 2016 Q2: Which social media platforms are best to be on in 2016 and beyond? New platforms are always on the horizon when it comes to social media. So, how do you know which ones are worthwhile to be on? Shane and Dagmar both offered up some great advice. When you’re trying to decide which platforms to build a presence on, consider your audience as well as the product/service you provide. You want to make sure you invest your time in platforms where your audience is spending time if you want them to help grow your brand/business. A2) This all depends on your product/service you provide & how willing the business owner is to create content & engage. #ContentWritingChat — Shane Barker (@shane_barker) March 15, 2016 A2) Depends on: your niche; the ideal client you want to attract; what media you enjoy using: text, images, video, audio #contentwritingchat — Dagmar Gatell (@DagmarGatell) March 15, 2016 Don’t forget about what’s most enjoyable to you, too! For example, if you’re great on video, build a presence on Periscope, Blab, or Snapchat. Our CEO, Julia, knows some of the best platforms to be on are the tried and true favorites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Google+. Even though they have all been around for a long time now, they’re still worthwhile. Newer video platforms such as Periscope and Blab continue to increase in popularity though. A2 Facebook and Twitter are top. Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, G+, Periscope, Blab #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) March 15, 2016 Q3: What are a few strategies for success on Twitter? Here at Express Writers, we love Twitter! It’s one of our favorite social media platforms to use and connect with our audience. If you want to step-up your Twitter presence, check out these tips. Shane recommends utilizing Twitter Lists. Lists are a great way to create a curated timeline of people whose updates you don’t want to miss. A3) I would recommend using Twitter Lists to organize your people. You can organize them by groups, events or location. #ContentWritingChat — Shane Barker (@shane_barker) March 15, 2016 Try creating a few Twitter Lists for yourself! You can have lists based on a certain topic, a select group of people, or even potential clients you want to build relationships with. A3 Use for networking, research, provide useful info – not direct selling. Build relationships #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/8ykCfo1XxO — Grenae Thompson (@DGGT) March 15, 2016 A3. Engage with both individuals & brands, join conversations already happening in your space. #contentwritingchat — Kristen Dunleavy (@KristenWritesIt) March 15, 2016 Both Grenae and Kristen know the importance of building relationships on Twitter. Put yourself out there and start connecting with new people! You just might find your next clients or customers or even a new friend. A3: Twitter chats; it’s learning and engagement in one spot. #contentwritingchat — Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) March 15, 2016 And much like Netvantage Marketing, it’s no secret that we love Twitter chats! Not only are they a great place to connect with new people, but many are quite informative! Q4: Name some best practices for Facebook outreach. Facebook’s algorithm can make it tricky to get eyes on the content you post. Put these tips to use for a better Facebook strategy. A4) Make content that resonates with your audience. Link dropping doesn’t cut it anymore. Competition is stiff. #ContentWritingChat — Kyle Murray (@TheKyleMurray) March 15, 2016 Kyle shared some great advice when he said to create content that resonates with your audience. When it comes … Read more

#ContentWritingChat March 8 2016 Recap: Best Practices for Content Curation in 2016

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#ContentWritingChat March 8 2016 Recap: Best Practices for Content Curation in 2016

We had so many new participants in this week’s Content Writing Chat – we couldn’t have been more thrilled with the turn out. Lots of new faces joined us. We were even a trending topic in the USA again, reaching our highest rank so far: #40! #ContentWritingChat is now trending in USA, ranking 40 — TT Mobile US (@TTMobile_us) March 8, 2016 If you missed it, there’s no need to worry because we have a recap of some of the best tweets of the chat. Keep reading to learn all about content curation! #ContentWritingChat March 8 2016 Recap: Best Practices for Content Curation in 2016 Join us Tuesday, March 8th at 10 AM CST for #ContentWritingChat with @gdecugis as our guest host! pic.twitter.com/wzsn0M7Czf — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) March 1, 2016 Our guest host for this week’s chat was Guillaume Decugis. Guillaume is the Co-Founder and CEO of Scoop.it, and an all-around awesome entrepreneur and influencer in the content marketing space. Julia has interviewed him previously on G+ Hangouts and Blab. He joined us to share his thoughts on best practices for content curation in 2016. Q1: Describe content curation and what it’s all about. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/8QXwcKBnUk — ContentWritingChat (@writingchat) March 8, 2016 What is content curation exactly? Guillaume, Kristen, Kyle, and Grenae all chimed in with great answers for our first question! @writingchat A1: so content curation is about discovering, selecting, enriching and publishing relevant content. #contentwritingchat — Guillaume Decugis (@gdecugis) March 8, 2016 A1. Content curation happens when you sift through the world of content, find posts relevant to your audience & share! #contentwritingchat — Kristen Dunleavy (@KristenWritesIt) March 8, 2016 A1 Curation adds your own insights, examples, experience w/someone else’s content #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/KWhPZf2h0p — Grenae Thompson (@DGGT) March 8, 2016 A1) Content is reflection of your values, concerns abt the world you live in. Curation is a method to advance the convo #ContentWritingChat — Kyle Murray (@TheKyleMurray) March 8, 2016 It’s all about discovering and publishing content that is relevant to your audience. Grenae said you should add your own insights, examples, and experience when sharing content from others. As Kyle mentioned, it’s a good way to advance the conversation. Q2: How does content curation fit into content creation? #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/E2EJ69H5gp — ContentWritingChat (@writingchat) March 8, 2016 A2: so a good way to see it is as continuum: nobody’s 100% creating and nobody’s 100% curating. We all do a mix. #contentwritingchat — Guillaume Decugis (@gdecugis) March 8, 2016 A2) Key to being a thought/industry leader: not only make polished, relevant content, but to promote others who do same. #ContentWritingChat — Kyle Murray (@TheKyleMurray) March 8, 2016 It seems everyone agrees: you can’t have creation without curation! Guillaume mentioned that we should all have a balance between creating content and curating content. Kyle said it’s important to create great content ourselves, but to also promote others who are creating great content as well. Even our CEO, Julia, agrees. She said she can’t create without curation. Curating amazing content can be a huge source of inspiration! A2 As a content creator, I CANNOT create without curation. Finding/curating great content/news/etc is huge inspiration #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) March 8, 2016 Q3: What is a good mix of content creation and curation? (80/20, etc.?) #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/AFuYlcnfRU — ContentWritingChat (@writingchat) March 8, 2016 A3: There is no golden rule. My own rule: create as long as you’re good; curate the rest to reach your content goals. #contentwritingchat — Guillaume Decugis (@gdecugis) March 8, 2016 A3 Balance is KEY. Don’t overdo curation; add your voice. That said, share others’ great content consistently! #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) March 8, 2016 A2c I prefer a 60 Creation/40 curation mix, but the ultimate goal is that all content is 90% useful/10% promo #ContentWritingChat — Chris Bell (@riskycontent) March 8, 2016 A3) I’d say follow the “two ears, one mouth” rule: Listen more, talk less. Something like 60/40 or even 70/30. #ContentWritingChat — Kyle Murray (@TheKyleMurray) March 8, 2016 Although Guillaume and Julia don’t have a specific ratio they follow, they both recognize that balance is KEY. Provide your audience with a mix of valuable content from you and from other sources. Both Chris and Kyle are fans of a 60/40 ratio. Your goal should always be to give your audience useful content and to tune in to what others are saying. A3)Whatever the balance, using curated content shows you care about what others are saying. Can’t just be our own voice. #ContentWritingChat — Jeremy Bond (@JeremyDBond) March 8, 2016 And as Jeremy said, curation shows that you care about what others are saying. You let others know that you’re listening when their content is part of your curation. Q4: What are some ways to find great content to curate? #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/ePQToeLhc6 — ContentWritingChat (@writingchat) March 8, 2016 A4: Where does your audience get their information from? That is a good place to start. #contentwritingchat — Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) March 8, 2016 A4: But also email newsletters you can subscribe to from influential blogs in your industry. #contentwritingchat — Guillaume Decugis (@gdecugis) March 8, 2016 A4. I <3 @feedly & @paper_li for finding great content to curate. #contentwritingchat — Kristen Dunleavy (@KristenWritesIt) March 8, 2016 A4 I use #TwitterLists, my email subscription, tried few tools including @scoopit #contentwritingchat https://t.co/Yg5bnNhw7n — Varun Kumar ☺ (@varunkr842) March 8, 2016 A4: Follow your favourite hashtag, sign up to newsletters, blogs and updates on @feedly or @reddit #contentwritingchat — Tajah Brown (@Tajah_Brown) March 8, 2016 We received a ton of suggestions for great content curation tips from everyone in the chat on Tuesday! As Netvantage Marketing said, you should consider where your audience is getting their information. Check out the websites and sources they’re reading. Guillaume mentioned using his tool, Scoop.it, but also said email newsletters are a great place to find content. Make sure you’re subscribed to some of the influential blogs within your industry to see what people are talking about! Kristen is a fan of Feedly and Paper.li. Varun … Read more

#ContentWritingChat March 1 2016 Recap: How to Level Up Your Content Writing Career

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#ContentWritingChat March 1 2016 Recap: How to Level Up Your Content Writing Career

Did you miss #ContentWritingChat this week? You’re in the right spot, because I’ve put together a recap of some of the best tweets from Tuesday’s chat all about How to Level Up Your Content Writing Career. Ready to learn? Let’s dive in! #ContentWritingChat March 1 2016 Recap: How to Level Up Your Content Writing Career Join us Tuesday, March 1st at 10 AM CST for #ContentWritingChat with @irishtara as our guest host! pic.twitter.com/hx6687UrfO — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) February 23, 2016 This week, our guest host was Tara Clapper. Tara is the Blog Editor over at SEMrush and the Senior Editor at The Geek Initiative. (She’s also a moderator on Julia’s Facebook group: Learn Online Writing.) She joined us to talk about building your career as a content writer. Our chat this week was amazing. We had lots of new participants and a ton of energy going during the chat. It was hard to keep up with all the participation! Some of the fun kudos shared: At 11am EST, join #ContentWritingChat! w @JuliaEMcCoy and the team from ExpressWriters – the fastest minds and flaming keyboards on Twitter! — Michael Stricker (@RadioMS) March 1, 2016 Wow.. I’m loving the energy, thoughts and conversation today at #ContentWritingChat!! ?? — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) March 1, 2016 Thanks, @ExpWriters team, @JuliaEMcCoy & @irishtara Fantastic Learning Experience today! Well done! #ContentWritingChat — Grenae Thompson (@DGGT) March 1, 2016 What an awesome #ContentWritingChat today! Thanks to the @ExpWriters and @semrush teams (& alums) for the support! — Tara M. Clapper (@irishtara) March 1, 2016 The SEMrush team was kind enough to share an offer for our participants, too: For today’s chat – Try out 2 week trial of SEMrush & generate great ideas for your writing https://t.co/h2NC3QMr9b #ContentWritingChat — Pat Whalen (@2patwhalen) March 1, 2016 Now, let’s get into the recap of the chat questions and leading answers! Q1: What are some tips on switching to a freelance career? #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/7eCwr4UZT8 — ContentWritingChat (@writingchat) March 1, 2016 A1: First tip: Lots of eggs, lots of baskets. Don’t rely on any one employer – freelance OR full time. #ContentWritingChat — Tara M. Clapper (@irishtara) March 1, 2016 A1 Start b4 you quit your 9-5! Start forging relationships, getting clients + paid work, & developing your side biz now. #contentwritingchat — Kathleen Garvin (@itskgarvin) March 1, 2016 A1 A good starter article >> 5 Things Every Freelance Writer Should Know Before Typing One Word https://t.co/wk7tCqjBSi #contentwritingchat — Kathleen Garvin (@itskgarvin) March 1, 2016 Tara gave some great advice for anyone looking to switch to a freelance career. Don’t rely on just one employer. You never know how things will go and you want to make sure you have other options. As Kathleen said, you should get started NOW. Don’t quit your 9-5 job before you’ve established yourself in your freelancing career. A1 I waited 1-2 months to ramp up writing gigs + income to replace my min.wage job, then I quit everything to write. #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) March 1, 2016 Julia, our CEO, didn’t quit her minimum wage job for writing cold turkey either. Build up your portfolio and start connecting with contacts first before you make the leap. A1: Learn how to negotiate. Don’t undervalue your work. Be willing to walk away if not getting fairly compensated. #ContentWritingChat — Laura Powell (@dailysuitcase) March 1, 2016 Laura gave some sound advice on staying firm to your rates, too. Q2: How do you know content writing could be YOUR career? #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/IvS4HIfyLA — ContentWritingChat (@writingchat) March 1, 2016 A2: If you <3 side gigs, you don’t mind managing the business end of things, and writing is all you do, it’s destiny. #ContentWritingChat — Tara M. Clapper (@irishtara) March 1, 2016 Q2: you don’t know Content Writing COULD be your career, you know it MUST BE your calling, your obsession! #ContentWritingChat — Michael Stricker (@RadioMS) March 1, 2016 A2. Simple: if you LOVE to write. Passion is #1, skills can be taught. Why I’m in content marketing = love for writing #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) March 1, 2016 If you’re wondering if content writing is the career for you, here’s how to tell: Make sure you’re fine with managing the business side of things. You are going to be responsible for finding clients and landing jobs. It’s all on you! And as Michael said, content writing needs to be your calling. You must have a passion for it in order to succeed! Q3: What are key skills good content writers should know today? #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/Wl1ocoAFQ4 — ContentWritingChat (@writingchat) March 1, 2016 A3: Content #writers should know: basic #SEO, 2-3 niche topics, how to format and edit in Word using revisions tool. #ContentWritingChat — Tara M. Clapper (@irishtara) March 1, 2016 A3 How to research, good writing/editing skills, tuned in to market/audience, deadline oriented #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/fDzeZJiu89 — Grenae Thompson (@DGGT) March 1, 2016 A3: Necessary skills are self-editing, #SEO and how to engage people through storytelling #contentwritingchat — Ashby Strauch (@ashbystrauch) March 1, 2016 We got some great tips from people in the chat about what skills content writers need to have! As Tara pointed out, you need to know the basics of SEO. Taking the time to optimize your posts for search engines is so important if you want to make sure your content gets seen. (And you do!) Grenae said you also need to know how to research and be able to meet deadlines. And as Ashby said, a good content writer needs to be able to engage his/her audience through storytelling. Storytelling is key to great writing to keep your audience interested and reading until the very end. A3 First, good writing skills (grammar, nuance, flow). Secondly, online & audience optimization (ie, SEO vs social) #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) March 1, 2016 A3 Writing a good headline is essential! Practice makes perfect. I’ve written 500+ and still learning best phrasing #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) March 1, 2016 Julia points out that great headline … Read more